Denver Museum of Nature & Science Will Begin Excavation of Snowmass Mammoth Site on Tuesday, November 2

Several Additional Mammoths and a Mastodon Tooth Have Been
Discovered at the Site this Week

DENVER-October 29, 2010-The Denver Museum of Nature &
Science will begin excavation of a significant Columbian mammoth
fossil site near Snowmass Village on Tuesday, November 2, after
reaching a written agreement today with the Snowmass Water and
Sanitation District for the donation of the fossils. Several
additional mammoths and a mastodon tooth have been uncovered by
work crews at the site this week, making this one of the most
significant scientific discoveries in Colorado history.

The original discovery of a single juvenile Columbian mammoth was
made by a bulldozer operator working on the expansion of Ziegler
Reservoir on October 14. The worker unearthed approximately 25
percent of the original mammoth's bones, which were cleaned and put
on display in the District's office in Snowmass Village. Hundreds
of local residents have come to the office to view the bones since
their discovery.

"I want to thank the Snowmass Water and Sanitation District for
donating these awe-inspiring fossils to the Museum," said George
Sparks, the Museum's president and CEO. "The Denver Museum of
Nature & Science is the proper home for the Rocky Mountain
Region's biggest scientific discoveries, and it is our mission to
share them with the public. We are thrilled that the fossils will
be studied by scientists from around the world, and become part of
the Museum's permanent collection where they will be preserved for
future generations."

Museum staff who visited Snowmass on Wednesday were extremely
impressed with the professionalism of Kit Hamby, director of the
Snowmass Water and Sanitation District, and his team. "They have
done a superb job of managing the discovery, stabilizing the site,
and caring for the bones that have been collected to date. We are
eager to work with them on the next phase of this incredible
discovery," said Dr. Kirk Johnson, the Museum's chief
curator and vice president of research and collections.

The excavation of the Snowmass site will be directed by Dr. Ian Miller,
curator of paleontology and chair of the Museum's Earth Science
Department, and Dr. Steve Holen, curator of archaeology
and the Museum's resident mammoth expert. Holen will be on site
over the weekend to monitor ongoing construction, remove any
additional bone that is unearthed by work crews, and map the dig
site in preparation for the beginning of the excavation on Tuesday.
The excavation crew consists of Museum scientists, educators and
volunteers who have completed training through the Museum's Paleontology Certification
Program.

With the District's permission, the Museum will arrange visits to
the dig site for students and media, as long as weather and working
conditions permit. Once the dig begins, the Museum will
provide regular updates about the progress of the excavation on its
website, www.dmns.org.

The team excavating the mammoth site will take great care in their
approach to the dig. "We do not know if this site contains just
mammoth and mastodon bones, or whether there may be evidence of
human interaction with the bones, as well. For that reason,
we will be cautious and use precise and careful techniques of
excavating in a grid and screening all of the sediments surrounding
the bones so we don't miss anything," said Holen.

Not including the finds made in Snowmass, 103 mammoth discoveries
and only three mastodon discoveries are on record in Colorado. This
discovery in Snowmass is considered especially significant because
it is very unusual to find more than one mammoth at a single site,
and there are no other sites in Colorado that contain both mammoth
and mastodon fossils in one location. In addition, the juvenile
Columbian mammoth that was first uncovered by the bulldozer
operator appears to be the most complete mammoth fossil found at
high elevation (8,960 feet) in Colorado.

Scientists will learn more specific details about the mammoths and
mastodon as they excavate and study the specimens. They will
attempt to determine the age of the animals when they died, and
possibly the sex of the animals. In addition, they will attempt to
extract DNA from the fossils, and conduct radiocarbon dating of the
specimens and surrounding sediments to determine the age of the dig
site itself. Right now, scientists estimate the fossils date to the
end of the last Ice Age, approximately 12,000 to 16,000 years ago.
Also of interest to scientists is the extremely
well-preserved plant material found in the dig site. The Museum
will analyze the material with help from outside scientists who
specialize in the study of Ice Age ecosystems from universities and
the United States Geological Survey.

One of the immediate priorities for the Museum staff is the
preservation of the fossils. "The bone is wet and we need to
determine the best strategy to carefully dry the bone and preserve
it. If wet bone dries too quickly it will crack and disintegrate,"
said Holen.

Under the terms of the Museum's agreement with the District, the
Museum will assume the responsibility and cost for the excavation,
transportation and preservation of the fossils. The District has
generously agreed to provide a heated tent and to help with
round-the-clock security at the dig site while the excavation is
underway. The Museum will create high-quality cast models of
the bones of one of the mammoths and give them to the District for
public display. Because of the length of the preservation process,
it may take as long as two years to deliver the casts. The Museum
will also produce a plaque or other interpretive material that can
be displayed along with the bone casts. After initial research and
analysis of the fossil is complete, Museum scientists will return
to the Roaring Fork Valley and make presentations about their
findings at local schools.

"One of the great things about living in the American West is that
amazing fossils can be found in all sorts of places. The Snowmass
mammoth is a perfect example of how alert workers can make
discoveries that have great significance," said Johnson. "The
Denver Museum of Nature & Science is excited to build on this
discovery and to develop the scientific potential of this amazing
site."

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About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science The Denver
Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region's
leading resource for informal science education. A variety of
engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors
celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and
the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver,
CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum, check
www.dmns.org, or call 303-370-6000.

Many of the Museum's educational programs and exhibits are
made possible in part by generous funding from the citizens of
the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural
Facilities District.